Brush spindle



G. L. N. MEYER BRUSH SPINDLE sept. 4, 1951 .INVENTOR Mgg/ef J r/zeg 580. N BY Filed April 9, 1949 K O F f LA f E v`patented Sept. 4, 1,951

UNITED? STATES i ATENT oF-Ficr;

I lkvmtnf l y l George L. N. Meyer, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Geo. J. Meyer Manufacturing Company, Cudahy, Wis., a' corporation ofzWisco'nsin Application April 9, 1949, seriaino. 86132,'

This invention relates tot a brush spindle adapted for use on bottle washing machines.

It is an objectof the present invention to provide a brush spindle which will accomodate itself to misalined bottles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a readily replaceable, exible, hollow shaft to support a brush.

Another object is to reduce the cost of replacing brushes in a bottle washing machine.

A further object is to provide a brush spindle which will facilitate the replacement of brushes.

A further object is to provide an improved relatively flexible brush spindle.

A still further object is to provide a brush spindle for a bottle washing machine which will eliminate inside scratches in bottles.

Still further objects will become apparent upon considering the following specication, which when considered with the accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a brush spindle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, the brush spindle comprises a fitting I adapted to screw onto a spindle head, a flexible hollow shaft l2 and a brush head generally designated l5 carrying a brush I6.

The fitting I0, (Fig. 3) has a square base I1 to facilitate screwing the fitting onto a rotatable spindle head (not shown). A cylindrical extension I8 is formed on the upper end of the square base I'I. The interior of the fitting I0 is provided with a pair of concentric bores I9 and 20.

The lower bore I9, which extends into the square base of the tting is provided ywith screw threads adapted to engage corresponding threads on the spindle head.

The hollow flexible shaft I2 is composed of a tightly wound coil spring of sufficient transverse stiffness to retain the shaft against flexing during rotation about its axis and to transmit water from the spindle head through the brush I6.

The bore 2B is threaded with a groove of slightly greater pitch than the pitch of the spring shaft I2 so that as the lower end of the spring I2 is screwed into the bore the coils of the spring will be expanded to form an automatic locking device. The end of the spring may strike an abutment 20 to limit the inward movement of the spring.

4 Claims. (oi. 12a- 1281);

'If desired the 'piece Ilmay be formed integral with the spindle head, and form a part thereof. In this event the bore 29 with the groove therein would be formeddirectly in the spindle head.

The upper end of the spring I2 is turned into a spiral groove or thread in a nipple 2| of the brush head I5. The groove or thread in the nipple 2| may be the same pitch as the spring tube I2 and the direction of rotation of the spring tube I2 about the vertical axis is such as to tend to tighten the nipple 2| on the spring tube I2 as the spring tube rotates. The end of the spring tube I2 abuts against a shoulder 2 I in the nipple 2| to limit the movement of the spring into the nipple.

A pin 22 supports the brush I6. The brush |6 is fully described and claimed in applicants copending application for U. S. Patent for Inside Bottle Brush, Serial No. 591,884, led May 4, 1945.

Operation In operation the fitting I0 is screwed on the rotatable spindle head in a bottle washing machine (spindle head not shown). When the bottle is in alinement with the brush spindle lthe forward movement of the bottle is stopped and the brush spindle raised into the bottle.

As the brush spindle raises it is rotated by the spindle head in a direction tending to screw the spring I2 further into the nipple 2|. Since the spring I2 is held in the fitting |0 by a locking action, there is no tendency for the spring to become disengaged from either nipple 2| or the fitting I0.

As the brush rotates in the bottle to be cleaned. water is supplied from the rotatable spindle head, through the spring tube |2, through the nipple 2| to the interior of the bottle to wash it.

The provision of the spring tube |2 permits ready entry of the brush to the bottle when the bottle is misalined in the carrier and thus prevents interior bottle scratching.

It will be realized that the hereinbefore described form of the invention is to be taken merely as a preferred embodiment thereof and that various changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims,

'I'hat which is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a brush spindle adapted to attach to a rotatable spindle head, said brush spindle comprising, a nipple, a brush mounted in one end of said nipple. a flexible tubing comprising a closely wound spring adapted to transmit rotation and to conduct fluid from the spindle head to the brush, and screw threads in the nipple engaging the coils f the spring to retain the same in the nipple'.

2. A brush spindle for use on a rotary spindle head comprising, a-tting adapted to beattached to the rotary spindle head, a nipple, an inside bottlerrbrush connected with said nipple and a closely wound spring forming a liquid transmit-v ting medium between the nipple and the tting and screw-threaded into both the nipple and the fitting.

3. A brush spindle for use on a rotary spindle head comprising, a fitting adapted to attach to the rotary spindle head, a nipple adapted to car-V ry an inside bottle brush, a closely wound spring l I forming a liquid transmitting medium .screwthreaded into both the fnipple and the fitting and adapted to transmit liquid therebetween, and means to lock the spring in said tting.

n 4. In a brush spindle for use on a rotary spindie head, a fitting adapted to attach to the ro- 4 tai-'5i spindle head, said tting having a vertical aperture in the upper end thereof provided with a helical groove, and a closely wound helical spring having a smaller pitch than said groove, said spring screwing into said groove with the difference in pitch forming a locking member to prevent accidental unscrewing.

GEORGE L. N. IWEYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 809,880 Woolldridge et al Jan. 9, 1906 978,749 Hollis Dec. 13, 1910 1,823,427 Green Sept. 15, 1931 2,020,350 Bertschinger Nov. 12, 1935 2,075,964 Teigeler Apr. 6, 1937 2,315,673 Taylor Apr. 6, 1943 2,340,215 Fowler Jan. 25, 1944 

